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The IOPD endorse the Manifesto for transformative social innovation

The Manifesto for Transformative Social Innovation Version 0.1 has been written by people involved in a number of networks, initiatives and research groups that focus on initiating, facilitating and/or understanding transformative change and social innovation towards more sustainable, just and resilient societies.

Between 2014 and 2017 the TRANSIT research project, a group of over 25 researchers studied 20 translocal networks, including over 100 initiatives spread across 25+ countries, mostly in Europe, Latin-America and a few other countries. The International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (IOPD) has been one of these networks studied by the TRANSIT project, linked specifically to the study and dissemination among cities of the participatory budgeting experience. Several hundreds of people involved in these initiatives and networks have cooperated with interviews, shared documents and welcomed researchers to participate in meetings and activities of these movements. This manifesto is inspired by insights, examples and experiences from these networks and initiatives. A more comprehensive overview and summary of all networks and initiatives under study, including the research methods used, is provided here.

On the 14-15th of September, TRANSIT’s final conference "Learning for Change" took place in Rotterdam, where there was a gathering of researchers, activists, entrepreneurs, policy-makers and other individuals who share an interest in social change. The idea of a manifesto was used as an entry point to share, compare and debate thoughts and experiences on the delights and challenges of transformative social innovation. Several versions of the manifesto were shared before and after the event, and people were invited to provide input during multiple feedback rounds. The result is this “version 0.1” that we share with the world in the hope that other people feel called and triggered by this movement.

Manifesto 0.1: This is a manifesto ‘in-the-making’ on transformative social innovation towards more sustainable, just and resilient societies. Link